Looking for Things to do this Summer?

Looking for places to visit for a day or weekend? Below is a list of travel sites in New England that were discussed on “Just Thinking,” an HCAT production now airing on Channel 8 on Comcast and Channel 32 on Verizon.

Day and weekend trips in Massachusetts and the rest of New England.

Best place to start planning for travels in Massachusetts –

http://www.mass-vacation.com/thingstodo.php. This is the state’s travel and tourism site, and they will send you emails with specials and coupons if you sign-up.

Great places for kids
Southwick Animal Park   http://www.southwickszoo.com/homePage.html - a great zoo these days. Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island is good but Southwick is even better.
http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/

Purgatory in MA   http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/purg.htm - great outcroppings of rocks that kids love to scramble over. Has hiking and camping. Not good for small children (under 6).

Butterfly Place in Westford   https://butterflyplace-ma.com/ Butterflies indoors in a greenhouse environment. The greatest delight is that the butterflies will land right on you.

Butterfly and conservatory gardens in Deerfield   http://www.magicwings.com/

Circus Smirkus – performers are children, no scary animal acts - great fun – travel New England – usually come to Wellesley, MA http://www.circussmirkus.org/

 

 

Baseball
The Pawtucket Red Sox, http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t533; they offer an array of ticket options for individuals and groups. Box seats are $11.00 and kids are $5.00. How long has it been since Boston saw those prices?

The Spinners in Lowell http://lowell.spinners.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t558

Cape Cod Minor Baseball leagues - http://www.capecodbaseball.org/home_post.htm - no charge to watch these games!

 

 

Pretty Places to visit
Purgatory in RI  http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2739803-purgatory_chasm_newport - deep chasm, spectacular ocean and sun views. Purported to be a very romantic spot.

Providence Lights  http://www.waterfireprovidence.net/  Water fire ceremony with gondolas and characters dressed in vintage costumes lighting multiple floating cauldrons of wood.

Bridge of Flowers – traverses the Deerfield River between Buckland and Shelburne Falls, http://www.bridgeofflowersmass.org/ You’ll find charming crafts and art shops in Shelburne and a charming market on the Buckland side. Absolutely beautiful area. In Buckland, head to the Johnson Hill Farm and enjoy the Lavender Labyrinth, http://www.lavenderland.com/index.html

Simon Pearce glassblowers, factory store in Quechee VT. Demonstrations of glassblowing are captivating.  http://www.simonpearce.com/text/Stores/quechee_store.html

Farms with tours and activities
Mayflower Cranberry Bogs, Plympton, MA. A few lucky people can actually help harvest cranberries in these bogs. Call for information. http://www.mayflowercranberries.com/index.html

Davis Farm -    https://www.davisfarmland.com/ Sterling MA, farmyard for children up to 12, corn maze in fall for all ages! Fun for everyone.

Agri-tourism farms  http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/agritourism_farms.htm - a list of 200 farms – dairy farms that make their own ice cream, horse farms, goats, you name it and we have a farm.

Kimball Farm, Westford, MA – farm animals, animal shows, adventure style mini-golf, bumper-boat pond, wild animal adventure- http://www.kimballfarm.com/... and homemade ice cream, barbeques, fried clams and more!

Outdoor activities – many for families
Appalachian Mountain Club http://www.outdoors.org/ (Joy St. Boston). Want to climb the 4,000 foot peaks in New Hampshire? Or just take a meandering trip around Walden Pond. Join this group. AMC New Hampshire http://amc-nh.org/index.php   - they even have chapters in Worcester, Southeastern MA and many more.

Mt Wachusett  - http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/wach.htm - hiking, ski slopes, site to watch hawk migration in fall.

 

Quabbin Reservoir - http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/quabbin.htm  - this reservoir provides water to Greater Boston. The state vacated and flooded four towns to create it. Hikes around the water will reveal vestiges of foundations – tours available. In winter, see many Bald Eagles flying over frozen waters looking for carrion.
           

Concord River - http://www.canoeconcord.com/index.htm - kayak, canoe, take a pontoon boat ride on the Concord River. You can white-water raft the river, too. http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/concordrafting.htm.
White water rafting also available in Rowe MA (Deerfield River) and elsewhere in New England. http://www.zoaroutdoor.com/

 

Best Zip Line in Charlemont MA - http://www.berkshireeast.com/zipline - ride above the hills and valleys on a network of aerial lines.

Dinosaur tracks – Hartford CT - http://gonewengland.about.com/od/hartford/a/hartford-state-parks.htm. Kids can cast their own tracks in plaster-of-Paris.

Ag Fairs   http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/fairs-directory.htm from big to small, all across the state; carnival rides, food competitions, animals, great fun.

 

Culinary
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard MA – near Nashoba Vineyards (see wineries) http://www.fruitlands.org/ Tours, samplings of fruit wines, beers.

Culinary travels in MA - Savor Massachusetts - http://www.mass-vacation.com/culinary.php - list of restaurants that specialize in using Massachusetts grown products.

Go fishing, bring your catch in and folks at this restaurant in Gloucester will cook it up for you. http://www.latfortythree.com/directions.html. Cape Ann Brewery is nearby and offers tours. http://www.capeannbrewing.com/

Other breweries – Sam Adams tours -  http://www.samueladams.com/age-gate.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fshare-passion%2ftours.aspx, Germania St. in Boston.

Harpoon Brewery - http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/ Northern Avenue in Boston

List of other Massachusetts breweries - http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/breweryMA.html

Farmers Markets - http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/farmers_markets.htm

Interactive map of 200 plus markets in the state including along the Turnpike. Freshest produce, cheese, flowers and more!

King Arthur flour in Vermont, near Dartmouth College over the line in New Hampshire.  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/baking/ take a tour, take a class (pizza, artisan breads, pastries and more).

Cheese-making workshops on a farm – Ashby MA   http://www.carraigfarm.com/

Check out Ted’s (as in Turner) Montana Grill in the center of Westboro - http://tedsmontanagrill.com/. Grab a buffalo burger or great steak.

Pick-your-own farms - http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/pick-your-own.htm - strawberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, etc. Remember Highland Farm here in Holliston offers “pyo” for apples in the fall. Pumpkins, too!

Pick Your Own Raspberries, Hamilton Orchards, 22 West Street, New Salem
Fall raspberries start early Sept to mid-Oct. supervised children welcome. Near the northern end of Quabbin Reservoir. http://www.hamiltonorchards.com/

Wineries
Winery  - find one  http://massnrc.org/farmlocator/map.aspx?Product=Wine

Nashoba Winery - http://www.nashobawinery.com/ - wines, classes, and pick-your-own fruit; restaurant. Brewery and beer, too.

Westport River winery - http://www.westportrivers.com/ Westport, MA South Coast

Coastal Wine Tour – from Rhode Island to Truro, visit nine wineries. http://www.coastalwinetrail.com/

Urban Places to visit

New Bedford -   http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/  click on visitors. There’s a great map of historic area. New Bedford is largest commercial seaport in the nation. There’s a lot to see in this city – great old houses, a Vaudeville Theater, museums, and especially the seaport area.  http://www.whalingmuseum.org/ The whaling museum has a model big enough to climb on. Buttonwood Park  http://bpzoo.org/ is a zoo that depicts the wildlife of MA from the Berkshires to the sea – wonderful natural history.

Lowell – State park. Textile museum, boat rides in the canals, http://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm - many museums about the textile industry that was dominant in the 19^th and early 20^th century. It’s a National Park now.

 

Couple places to stay
Blue Heron Farm   http://www.blueheronfarm.com/ - 140 acre farm with four homes scattered on the property that they rent for vacations. A chalet, a cabin, a house…

 

Norwich Inn  http://www.norwichinn.com/

Lakes of the Clouds hut in the White Mountains offers clean, beautifully situated lodging for singles or groups.
http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/whitemountains/huts/huts-lakes.cfm

 

 

Miscellaneous

Children’s Way to Metrowest – book of all the attractions in our area. This book is unavailable, except Amazon has some used copies. A great guide.

Helicopter flying lessons in Bedford MA  http://ecacbed.com/

Meet-up groups - http://www.meetup.com/find/ - find groups in the area who share your interests – books, theater, science, hiking…you name it, there’s a group for you.

 

Mary Greendale's Show "Just Thinking" on HCAT appears Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 and 8. Mary, Nancy Bergeron and Caroll Damigiella discuss the above list of things to do in New England.